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If Philip Rivers has anything left -- and I buy that he does -- he's in excellent position to succeed in Indianapolis. He's got a smart coaching staff, a very good offensive line, a strong run game and enough talent at wide receiver if T.Y. Hilton stays healthy. The defense is much more of a question mark. DeForest Buckner and Darius Leonard headline an improved front seven, but the secondary has a lot to prove. The Colts would need some breaks to go their way to get to the Super Bowl, but I see them as the favorites in the AFC South.

With Philip Rivers joining a young, improving team, they are the team to beat in the AFC South. I think the defense makes big strides.

If you're seeking highest-impact rookie duo in 2020, place a bet on Indy freshmen WR Michael Pittman Jr. and RB Jonathan Taylor.

How well can the Colts protect Philip Rivers?

Mike Wells: It's no secret that the Colts have arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. They were the only team to have the same group start all 16 games last season. The issue is the depth behind the starters. The loss of Joe Haeg and Josh Andrews, two key backups last season, during free agency hasn't been talked about much because the starting group is that good. What the Colts can't afford is to suffer any key injuries to any of their starters because it'll have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the team. A strong offensive line will give Rivers -- who has been sacked at least 30 times in nine of the past 10 seasons -- time to throw the ball. The Colts also plan to rely on their running game this season because of the depth they have, led by Marlon Mack, who topped 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career last year.

It doesn't feel like the Colts get enough credit for where they currently stand as a franchise. Many organizations would have fallen in on themselves if the franchise quarterback walked away out of the blue, as Andrew Luck did a year ago last month. But GM Chris Ballard built in too much foundation for collapse, and the support beams are up front with the offensive line. Indy made center Ryan Kelly the highest-paid center in football last week, and the Colts will enter Week 1 with the league's most complete front five, all of whom are under contract through at least 2021. Phil Rivers is well set up to have his Brett-Favre-Joins-The-Vikings moment.